Alfheim Online Diverse Route Reboot
by Imouto to Aniki
Summary: ALO Reboot What if Asuna gets to wake-up after the SAO incident instead of being the Damsel in Distress in the ALO world? And what if his Knight in shining Black armor Kirito remains in a coma? What'll she do? or Lyfa/ Suguha may do? And what is the real [truth] of Kirito's existence? a work of my imouto NishikaYui
1. Chapter 1

**Alfheim Online Diverse Route (A SAO fanfic)**

_**Prologue**_

An enormous tree soars through the skies.

Above it lays a certain place, cutting the seas of leaves and branches, a huge blackened bird cage and inside of it, is a lone being barred of freedom.

The figure, slumped in the cold marble table with chains connecting his wrists and feet in the chair they occupied is plotting on how to escape this abnormally enchanted place, praying that to make its way to freedom but also beginning to lose all hope he had.

Yes, it's been roughly sixty days or so since he wake up here. The boy who defeated the _King_ of _'that world'_ was now, again, a _prisoner_.

Raven locks tousled as the midnight air found its way to the bird cage. The boy, once to be a _'hero'_, was wearing a black ethereal outfit matching the ethereal-esque scenery as ebony translucent wings found its way to his back. One could say that he was the every picture of a royal captive of sorts.

However, this place that held his entire being was neither the truth nor the fake. He was trapped in his own mind, another cage from the world from the world of Virtual Reality.

He wasn't even sure as to how he ended up there, the sixty days spent also seems to be an illusion, he's not so sure as the settings could allow him to notice that the days in that cage or to say prison was shorter than twenty four hours, that is what he confirmed.

Through thousands of contemplations he is able to deduce that much, but that doesn't even matter.

Asuna.

The last thing he witnessed before this was the fall of Aincrad together with his beloved one. Until that bright light, all he can feel was Asuna's warmth and conviction. To disappear with her was more than enough as for him.

But darkness soon take over, a torrent dragged him towards the bright flashes of light, and instantly he knows he was being transported.\

The next thing he knew was that he was in another illusionary world, another computer-generated virtual prison, imprisoned by a man of malice.\

"What's the matter, dear Kuroko-kun?"

Suddenly a voice echoed in the entirety of the bird cage. Speak of the devil and he will come, the boy remorsefully thought.

"What are you saying, my name's Kirito, not Kuroko[1]."

The boy lifted his androgynous face towards the menacing figure and glare.

There stood a man, no, a disgustingly handsome creature similar to himself; artificially induced.

The silk mantle wrapped to that slim body was embroidered with silver and atop the wavy yellow-green hair was a round similarly silver crown, signifying of his so-called regal status.

And unlike Kirito's black dragonfly wings, his were huge butterfly ones, four parts of them shifted between a color of black velvet and emerald-green.

However, all of that regal appearance was completely ignored, despised for a fact that the _'king's'_ smile was of an expression of utter malevolence.

"Don't be too cold my dear boy, or do you want me to call you Puck[2] instead?"

"Tch, you're the one that locked me here in the first place, what right do you have calling me strange names, I am Kirito, Oberon and that's it."

Kirito looked up at Oberon's eyes directly, anger rising within his veins but all he got from the malicious man was a disgusted look together with a cold statement.

"Wake up already boy. In this world, I am Oberon, the fairy king and you're just my lowly servant, so you shall obey my every orders."

"The only thing that I'll ever obey is my hatred to you. When I get out from here, I swear I'll make you pay for what you've done!"

"Well, how stubborn."

Oberon clicks his fingers, and at the same time, the chains in Kirito's limbs begin to spark electricity, electrocuting him.

"Kuh…hck…GAAAAAAH!"

At first there is no pain, the knowledge of being in a virtual world allows Kirito to think that everything in this world, be it a simple or fatal injury can only result a numb feeling or sort of irritation but being locked up there was a different matter. Oberon is a game master and he can change the pain absorption at will.

"Ah it's such a pity that I caught the wrong person, but it seems that you still have your uses, Hero Kirito-kun."

Oberon laughs when the electric attack subsided, and reaches a handful of raven locks to make the poor boy face him.

Kirito's eyes, in spite of the tears of pain, were filled with fury but made no reaction from the man, instead the grip on his hair tightened that it hurts so much, he can't stay galring.

"If only you weren't connected with her then this wouldn't happen, or so what I really want to say but I know we can't be so sure for that, no?"

He sneered, eyes glinting of an evil intent Kirito couldn't help but wince to.

"The only thing that I am sure about now is that I really want to punch your face, oh-so-Your-Highness King-O-be-ron."

At that sarcastically exclaimed comment coming from the castrated black haired youth, the face of Oberon twisted into a dangerously blank state. Kirito held his breath waiting for his impending _'punishment'_ but…

"Kuhahahahaha! You never fail to amuse me, Kuroko-kun!"

…only a jeery laugh booms in his eardrums. The fake king flicked his hand away from the boy's head and walk towards the cage door.

"The next time I see you, is also the end of that attitude of yours, so please, enjoy the last days of you being _'Kirito'_ as you wish."

Kirito, stares at him infuriatedly, and watch as Oberon leave, his last statement giving him a complete warning, giving him the chills.

"I'll make sure that I'll get out of here before that happens."

He quietly mutters and once again he laid his head to the cold table, thinking of his beloved Asuna's face, forming an absolute promise within his heart.

**o0o**

_**A/N:[1] Kuroko=**__ literally translates as Black child._

_**[2] Puck=**__ Oberon's servant, also known as __**Robin Goodfellow**__, a character in William Shakespeare's play __**A Midsummer Night's Dream**__.\_

_Ooh~ My first SAO fanfic here~ Please support this if you want me to continue desu~_

_Lovelots~_

_**NishikaYui**_


	2. Chapter 1: Crossing Fields

_**Chapter 1: Crossing fields**_

Tick, tock.

"Yuuki-senpai!"

Faint footsteps can be heard in the serene hallways as a light haired girl approach her senior. Said senior dazedly turns her gaze towards her, as if never believing.

"Congratulations! Yuuki-senpai! I heard you've top the exam!"

Yuuki Asuna stares at the girl as if she had grown two heads.

"Top? Exam?"

"Mm! And I also heard that you're being pursued by a young aristrocrat! I believe his name is Sugou Nobuyuki! You're so lucky Senpai!"

Asuna widens her eyes.

"Senpai, are you alright?"

Tick, tock.

"You're kidding right? How would I top an exam I never reviewed, in fact how could I review if I'm in A-"

Asuna started muttering but cut herself off. She doesn't understand. How could this happen? Weren't she in [Aincrad] together with-

-Kirito?!

"Senpai?"

The girl, who's supposedly her junior looks at her with worry lacing in her eyes, for she, just stood there, frozen.

Tick, tock.

Tick, tock.

"Kirito-kun, Kirito-kun, Kirito-kun..."

She mutters as she crumbles to her knees. She can't take it anymore, as she wraps her arms to the folded knees all she can think of was that, that serious face of a certain black haired youth framed with experience yet had the naivety of a child's.

She didn't know when her first tears landed in reality.

Asuna awoke with a start.

The mist in her vision started to clear up as she recollects the contents of her dream, but soon gave up as tears started to well up again from the corner of her eyes.

Just like what happened [there].

There, she would wake up in a simple bed.

There, the scent of the fresh trees would always greet her first in the morning.

Wooden walls, decorated with various memoirs would always welcome her sight by the time her eyes opened.

And most especially,

... it's because [he]'s there with her.

But,

... those weren't the things that filled her vision by now.

A luxurious bed, marble floors and cemented walls.

These are what made Asuna- Yuuki Asuna's room in the [real world].

She studied her surroundings once she got up from lying, and what took her attention was-

-an old looking head gear.

[NerveGear].

A FullDive model VR interface, called as the [demon machine]. As it had locked her and several hundreds of individuals inside a virtual reality world for almost two years. Only after a very long and fierce battle, had they been finally released from its grasp.

Yes they, she had returned.

But the one who liberated them and the one whom she had given her heart to was...

She turns away as a sharp pang assaulted her chest. She stood up and walks towards her bathroom. There she glanced at the full body mirror located at the wall.

Everything has changed.

**o0o**

**Sunday, January 19th 2025**

**9:00 AM**

Kirigaya Suguha somberly walked in the snow encased pavement in the road.

The weather was extremely cold, especially it's only in the mid-January morning.

Her drowsiness, long forgotten as she continued down the path and specifically because she had finished her early training exercises.

Her breaths cut short as she sped up once she saw that her destination is near. Her shoulder-length black hair swaying in the cold winter air as her two onyx eyes shone in the sunlight.

Her appearance, as she thought, was very different than her [brother]'s.

While her brother's had that feminine glow, all she got was a masculine side instead.

Thinking about it, the sober air, that was supposed to be dispersed earlier, returned and was back tenfold stronger.

Suguha shook her head and resumed walking. She took a deep breath as she enters the gate of a hospital.

The hospital in which her brother, no [cousin] to be exact, Kirigaya Kazuto was occupying.

Her brother had been admitted to this major hospital in Saitama. The place were his, supposedly, [parents] was admitted to and had held their last breath after that [accident].

And on the second time, [another] of their bloodline has to be admitted there again. All because of the nightmarish incident called [Sword Art Online].

This is also a place where she had learned of the [truth].

Suguha might've bursts into a sobbing mess had she had not done it earlier.

**o0o**

The first thing she saw when she arrived was her comatosed brother, restrained to the sickbed with numerous of cords and the dreadful headgear that concealed his head, and all she wanted to do now was to simply clings to him and weep...

"Ah..."

The moment she fully enters Kazuto's ward, Suguha suddenly froze in her footsteps.

There sitting in a chair, which is too close to her brother, is Asuna in casual clothes despite all her regalities and had been looking at her in a perplexed manner.

As their eyes met, Asuna smiled and spoke;

"Good Morning, Suguha-chan."

"G-good morning... You're pretty early for today, Asuna-san."

"Is that so? How about Suguha-chan, don't you have kendo practice?"

"I've finished early today."

The young lady, Asuna beckons her to sit beside her, in which Suguha complied to.

Asuna, Yuuki Asuna is also a [SAO Survivor] along with others that had often, if not always, visited her brother. And among others Asuna seems to be the one who has a [thing]together with him that Suguha can't help but feel a slight twinge in her heart.

But then Suguha had been happy.

She felt really happy for her brother. For him to have such loyal friends that even after being released was able to reminisce their time being with him in that world, even if he's the one being left behind.

For them, her brother, that person was an important individual in that illusionary world, especially for Asuna, and she heard this directly from her a month ago, in which that time, this chestnut haired girl can only support herself by crutches as she explained the details to Suguha and her mother.

Before, she would think that such thing is ridiculous. But now, Suguha could somehow understand. She could see it by herself that this fragile older girl truly loves her brother very much, as tears would always treathened to fall just for him.

Asuna would always visit Kazuto every three days, if not for her rehabilitation. Suguha was sure she would always come by herself if she can take the time and Suguha will see it clearly.

Asuna, sitting in front of that slumbering brother of hers, holding his hand as she bows her head for a silent prayer for him to wake up, just like the way Suguha once held it, praying tirelessly.

Her chest tightened painfully.

Just like Asuna, she too, wants Kazuto to return, and she promises, she'll mend their torn relationship and she'll tell him that she had known already...

**o0o**

Two months ago, at the top of the floating castle [Aincrad] in its 75th floor, Asuna had witnessed the final battle between her husband the [Black Swordsman] Kirito versus the [Knights of the Blood] commander, the [Holy Sword] Heathcliff but never seen the final moments as she had died protecting Kirito. But nonetheless, both she and him had completed that death game.

The once to be called the [Flash] had returned, awakened in a private hospital room.

But her most important person had yet to return.

She had found out, thanks to her father and that guy in a black rim glasses and suit, said to be a representative of the [Ministry of Internal Affairs - SAO Countermeasure Division], giving her the fact of the whereabouts of her beloved.

And as the [top] clearer of the game, it was just easy to follow Kirito-kun's player information through server data.

That was what he says.

Though the escalated feeling of Asuna from learning she could met Kirito-kun in the real world was easily deflated once the black rim glasses guy stated that he, among 300 others across the country had yet to wake up, thinking it was only a [lag spike] occuring in the server. But that was long enough, as of now they haven't woken up at all.

Something, no someone was behind all of this, and Asuna was sure that it's not the Commander's[1] fault, because she was there, when the time he lets himself be engulfed by the destruction of his beloved world.

Of course, Asuna had tried to enter that world again, as secretly as it is since her parents refused to, but was only led to failure.

For that time she just let it be, and then came her rehabilitations.

It's been painful, but in order to see must do everything as she can, one at a time.

And after a month, she sets out to visit him.

Despite the initial refusal of her mother, Yuuki Kyouko, she was finally allowed to have her freedom of visitation rights only in one [condition].

That is for her to meet up a man every weekend.

She accepted though, for Kirito-kun's sake. Anyway, she can always shake off that [man] if she wanted to nonetheless.

And then, she had met Kirigaya Suguha and Kirigaya Midori, Kirito-kun's sister and mother.

That led to the current situation she found herself is.

When Suguha-chan had entered the room, both of them succumbed a comfortable silence, silently gazing at the sleeping boy, and occasionally launching casual conversation with each other. Asuna could tell that the younger girl, while not totally uncomfortable with her, always seems a bit distracted in her presence especially when she wore that worn down expression.

She understands though, what right does Asuna, a stranger had to pay someone a visit before the relatives?

And so, when the younger girl had excused herself for the bathroom, Asuna founds herself leaning on the bony frame of a chest the slumbering black haired boy has.

She held her breath as she desperately tried to hold back the tears that threatened to fall again.

"Mou, Kirito-kun... what would you say if you saw me like this..."

"I'd say you'd look so lovely with that sad expression on, Asuna-san."

She was alerted by that deep voice of the [man] she truly dreaded to see.

She looks behind her and see the person entering the ward.

"What are you doing here, Sugou-san?"

"Ah, how cold of you, haven't we been meeting up each other during Saturdays and Sundays?"

The man named Sugou, walks towards her with a smile. At first glance, one could say that he was a positive person, by looks and by deeds. Tall, intelligent and polite. A man with a smile that can charm everyone even if he is already barely past his 30s.

But that was only a facade.

Sugou Nobuyuki is a snake, a vulture even, that only sees Asuna as a piece of untouched meat and was always ready to reap her out once he deemed she was fresh enough. Asuna can perceive that side of him.

At her hardened glare, Sugou just shakes his head and continued walking to the immobile and vulnerable comatosed Kirito laying in the meager hospital bed.

"Next month, no, I want it to be next week."

Asuna narrowed her eyes.

"You're beautiful Asuna-san... and I want you to wear the bridal gown."

He then went to stand next to Asuna by Kirito's bedside and started poking the boy's cheek, in which Asuna felt revolted to.

"What do you mean? Gown, why would I wear such thing?"

"You're marriage to me that is."

Asuna felt cold sweat run towards her body, not comprehending Sugou's words.

"Do you think, I would approve of that?"

"Oh most certainly, given to the circumstances you've put yourself into, dear Asuna-san."

From poking Kirito's cheek, Sugou's hand reached out to Asuna's smooth chestnut hair and it instantly filled her with a sense of disgust.

"When you were in the game, you lived together with him, didn't you?"

And from the smile he wore, Asuna more certainly knew that his words had a barred truth.

"You hated me since the time I was officially adopted to your family, I was hurt by that you know, and here I would find that you had opened up with a stranger in a [fake] world, unbelievable really."

Sugou's fingers neared Asuna's lips.

"Stop."

She can't take it anymore as she grabbed the offender hand and flicked it away.

"Of course I hate you, I know your [TRUE] colors, and just so you would know, I'll never marry such a man like you!"

Asuna hisses, almost like screaming.

"Tch, tch, Asuna-san, Asuna-san, Asuna-san."

Sugou provoked with a smug sing song voice, moving from Asuna's side to the opposite, facing the, supposed to be, sleeping boy.

"Do you think you have much of a choice, hm? Honestly, Asuna-san. Do you know what happened to [Argus]?"

"I heard they got broke."

"Correct. From the development cost, together with the damages put them in debt and the company eventually went bankrupt. So here's the fun part, the SAO server maintenance is now under the responsibility of, yours truly, RECTO's FullDive technology department. Now, who do you think is the one taking care of the problem?"

From the other side of the bed, Sugou looks at Asuna mockingly.

"That is to say, your [precious] boyfriend is still alive because I permitted it. Therefore. don't you think I should be compensated by [you] for all the troubles? Am I wrong? Besides..."

The sweat that gathered earlier in Asuna's temple founds its way and roll in her cheek, a silent sound accompanying its fall to the floor.

The smile from Sugou's face disappeared as he spoke in an icy tone.

"I don't know what happened between you two in the game, but remember this Asuna-san, if you don't answer me by next week's time, who knows what'll happen to him."

Asuna couldn't do anything but clench her fists, frustration founding its way to her face. This man, this man is using Kirito-kun's situation for his advantages! What a cowardly fool!

She was about to tell him to get lost and that she will never marry him when she was interrupted by the door opening. Turning back she sees Suguha-chan carrying a vase full of freshly picked flowers. Said girl turns to them with a bright smile.

"Arre, Sugou-san, good to see you here!"

'Eh?'

Shocked, Asuna could only stare at the younger girl with disbelief.

"You knew him?"

"Of course, Sugou-san is the kind young man that's sponsoring Onii-chan's hospitalization, and he weekly visits him too."

At Suguha's words Asuna became speechless. Sugou got up from his perch and smile back at Suguha.

" Yes, Kirigaya-san is right. Now if you'll excuse me. Asuna-san if you don't mind, and please... don't forget."

Sugou patted Asuna's head, in which she tried hard not to slap because it'll be improper if Suguha-chan can see something like that, nodded to the youngest of the three and curly leave the room.

**o0o**

The meeting with Sugou still burned in Asuna's memory, even after Suguha-chan had asked her how she had known Sugou-san or even after she left the hospital and went home.

She can't answer Suguha for now that the man she thought was helping her brother is actually a man using him to his advantages in setting Asuna herself. Sugou is deeply trusted by her father and now he had gain the trust of Kirito-kun's relatives, a thing that took her long before she had.

This is what she truly feared for.

That the time she spent together with Kirito-kun is nothing but a dream, an illusion for the eyes of the adults.

"What should I do...? Kirito-kun..."

Tears of sadness started to slid down from her face, to the hands folded in her lap.

She was startled when her phone beeps softly. The melodic hum of the device deeply reminded her of the days Kirito-kun and her met their daughter [Yui].

Answering the phone, not bothering to wipe her face, Asuna spoke in a watery voice.

"Hello..."

『Asuna-san, it's me, Kirigaya Suguha.』

Asuna widened her eyes. True, she had given the Kirigaya family her contact information, for if ever Kirito-kun wakes up they'll contact her. She just didn't expect that the youngest Kirigaya to do the deed just yet.

『I'm worried for you Asuna-san. I don't know what really happened, but when Sugou-san left, you looked realy pale. Are you alright?』

Hearing the voice Kirito-kun had probably always heard before, Asuna can't stop the smile that grows thinly in her lips.

"Yes, I'm fine Suguha-chan, you don't have to worry."

The other line became silent. For a moment, Asuna thought that Suguha had probably hung up if not for the next sentence coming from the other line.

『Cheer up. If you truly love Onii-chan, then you shouldn't give up so easily. I know Onii-chan is strong so he'll survive, for you and for us.』

That was enough for Asuna. The last streaks of tears in her face slowly fade away and disappear completely.

**o0o**

Asuna was awakened by an electronic sound that indicated she has received a mail.

Said email was from [Agil]. An old friend and a merchant from SAO. Asuna and Agil met together with the rest of their SAO friends once they found out about Kirito's situation and everybody exchanged mails.

Asuna has kept in touch with everyone. From Lizbeth, Klein and another friend of Kirito-kun, a girl named Silica.

And the most recent message she got was the one she receive as of now.

[LOOK AT THIS] was the title of the message, and once she opened it she thought she stopped breathing.

A single picture was attached to it.

Even if it's a bit pixilated, Asuna can't deny that she knew who was depicted on it.

Even if it's only a computer generic one, she would know,

A blackened cage stood in the foreground. Inside were a marble table and chair were placed. In the chair was a boy, draped with a black silk tunic and an Arabian pants, chained.

She knew that face, she knew very well.

That raven locks, androgynous face and all black clothing, regardless of the type of clothing, were undoubtedly Kirito. Even if that ebony transparent wings stretched out behind ostracized the view, she knew it was him.

"Kirito-kun?!"

**o0o**

Agil's cafe and bar is located in Taito Okachimachi. As soon as Asuna saw that trademark title of his [Dicey Cafe], she hastily opens the door and spotted the bald giant man behind the counter.

"Oh, you're fast."

"What is that picture, Agil-san?"

In any other occasions, Asuna would likely start a lighthearted conversation with the tan man, but right now she is in a big hurry, and Agil must know it.

Agil or in the real world [Andrew Gilbert Mills] frowns a little then brought out a rectangular package under the counter and pushed it to her.

[Alfheim Online] it reads.

"That's another VRMMO released for the [AmuSphere], the successor of the NerveGear. It's also compatible with it, as long as the RAM is usable."

"Home of the faeries... huh?"

"I've heard it's quite difficult."

Agil placed a steaming cup of tea in front of Asuna in who accepted and took a small sip, laughing a bit.

"[Levels] don't exist anymore in that game. All skilled depends on a player's athletic ability, but pretty much the same as SAO."

Asuna contemplated.

"So [PKing] is encouraged?

"More so, it's a battle of different fairy races."

Agil's smile broadened as he notices Asuna loosening up her serious demeanor.

"In that game, you have the ability to [Fly]."

"Fly?"

"With fairy wings. This game is equipped with a [Flight Engine], enabling users to fly freely, though there is a 10 minute time limit."

Asuna seems amazed by that fact, but she is too worried to really care, even if she can fly with wings in the game, she must find Kirito-kun first.

"Alright, I know already. Now, what's the case of the picture?"

The african-american man once again brought out something under the counter. It's a piece of paper consisting more of those pictures and handed them towards Asuna.

"What do you see?"

"Kirito-kun."

"Thought so. It's a game screen shot, the resolution's pretty bad too."

"Please elaborate, Agil-san."

"That was taken there, in Alheim, inside ALO."

Asuna studied the materials Agil had accumulated. It depicts a male and female faery facing the bright full moon and an overview of its world map, territories, and at the center of it was a giant tree.

"This, the [World Tree] or [Yggdrasil] is the goal of the players. The first race to reach the city atop will be granted eternal flight."

"Eh? It's not allowed to simply fly up?"

"It's impossible, and even with the highest stamina a player may have, one can't even reach the lowest branch. So often players comes up with crazy ideas, such as the [guild] who use their flight like a multi-stage rocket to propel themselves up."

"That's... pretty crazy but creative nonetheless."

"Apparently, and it's a success too. One of them even managed to climb up a branch and took a lot of pictures as evidence, and even managed to get closer to that mystery cage."

"Birdcage..."

_Kirito-kun was trapped, but... why?_

Asuna picked the module up and stared at it, focusing at the print on the bottom of the box.

[RECTO Progress]

"Asuna? What's the matter? You're a little pale."

"Uh, nothing, it's just think that I may know now as to what's really happenning."

Asuna said, gazing down while thinking of that wretched man- Sugou Nobuyuki - had blurted towards her.

Just as she thought, there is something fishy going on in this whole ordeal.

**o0o**

Asuna left after explaining everything to Agil, and he let her have the game not until he gave her enough warning and precaution about the game. The man also adviced her to contact that black rim glasses guy if necessary which she reluctantly agreed to. Agil also said that he will help her in any ways he can and he will inform the others about it, Asuna can never be grateful.

[Alfheim Online]

She hadn't been really listening to Agil's explanation about the game but she is determined to dive. So getting her NerveGear, which was supposed to be destroyed by now but ended up in her safekeeping because she refused to leave those [memories] harbored in that world, and inserted the module into the console.

After a few seconds, the main indicator light stopped blinking and confirming the sequence.

She stares at it for a moment and with a fire of passion in her heart, she puts the headgear on.

"LINK START!"

Myriads of colors welcomed her once she felt her consciousness leaving the reality and a female automatic voice greeted her.

She proceeded to calibrate the setting S and finally settled onto arrivin in a whole new world.

The account registration interface shows up and she began creating her game character. Since its RECTO that's been regulating this world, it's likely that Sugou will know that she had logged in if she uses her old [username] so for now she'll use another.

[Erika] would suffice.

And among the nine races, she chose [Sylph], because she believes that their territory is the most nearest to the World Tree, she's sure to that.

After completing the initial set-up, the artificial voice rang out bidding Asuna, no, Erika a "Good Luck" and she were sent to her starting point.

[Swylvain]

**o0o**

_**A/N:[1] Commander=**__ Asuna pertain to Kayaba/Heathcliff as __**Danchou**__/Commander_

_Aaand that's a lenghty chapter 1, my pen's all dry up you know, I give that to you~_

_Aaw, no Kii-bou this chapter but don't worry he'll show up soon~ :3_

_Then, thanks for all who reviewed in the prologue~_

_**to Mayuko-chan-san,**_

_hm, maybe because it's the same plot that you thought its "strangely familiar" with another fic, I tell you, I've read that fic and believe me, this and that is not of the same page ne (But at the same time I was inspired by that~ Big wave to **Miry-0-chan-san~**)~ _

_**to vigolo1-san,**_

_yes, I'll continue this, don't worry_

_(I also want to see Kii-bou fighting against all odds~!)_

_**to Delta Marauder-san,**_

_I think so too, but thanks anyway~_

_**to StarElsie-san,**_

_thanks~_

_Thanks for all those who favourite/follow and would you care to leave a review pweeeaasee~_

_See you all again in the next update~_

_Lovelots~_

_**NishikaYui**_


	3. Chapter 2: Dream World

_**Chapter 2: Dream world**_

_**[A/N: Will pertain to Asuna as Erika]**_

[Swylvain], also known as the [Emerald Capital] is a city consisting of spires of varying shades of green in its every nook and corner.

This scenario is what greets [Erika] the moment the uncomfortable [feeling] of logging in subsided and the time when she opens her now green eyes.

To any time she would gladly appreciate the beautiful sight together with her [family]. However, her most important mission as of now is to gather [intelligence] in this fantastical world in order to save that [family] she herself had acquired in another fantastical world.

Agil-san had said that [ALO] was the equal of [SAO] in the quality of its high precision modelling and structure, and as she can see that is indeed the truth.

Erika closed her eyes.

"In the end I managed to come [back]."

Bitterly, she thought that despite everything from SAO she did never learn.

She shakes her head, wishing for the bad thoughts to go away and sighed. There's nothing to be done, she need to learn the truth and get some [help] after.

Sitting in a nearby bench, she decided to inspect something.

She lifted her right hand, with the index and middle finger together and swipe it down.

Nothing happened.

For a second she thought that she had been found out by Sugou and was trapped again and she broke into a cold sweat.

She tried a few more tikes with the same result but she remembered that the menu and the flight controller are both operated with the left hand. Well, according to the tutorial at least.

She does the sane action with her left hand then, and this time a sound effect and a burst of light finally occured. A translucent menu window opened, a moment thet brought her back to a sense of nostalgia.

"It's there..."

At the bottom of the menu is the [LOG OUT] button which she tried to find.

She gave it a try and pressed. A [warning message] popped up, asking for her to confirm her action.

With a breath of relief, she leaned on the bench. Looking back at he menu window again, she instantly froze.

"Eh?"

At the top of the menu, her character name; [Erika] was displayed altogether with her race; being [Sylph] and below, was her hit points [HP] and her mana points [MP] with the beginner values. What surprised her was the skill column which shouldn't have anything as she has yet to choose. Instead, there are eight or more listed there already.

She tapped a skill bar and saw its proficiency values were far too abnormal for a beginner. What's more intriguing was that her [Cooking] skill, which she didn't remember taking yet, had a tag indicating that it was already [MAXED OUT]. This is downright impossible for a first timer and that tells as much.

Thinking as it was a kind of [BUG], Erika kept on fiddling in her window, feeling an intense dejavu.

She can't help but think that she had seen those proficiency values before...

... and it hit her.

She had seen those skills that she had spent as [Asuna] in the two years she spent in SAO.

Breathing hard, she couldn't imagine what is the connection between SAO and ALO... no,she has a hunch on what was going on.

Not being quite sure, she navigated back to the main menu to confirm her thoughts. Clicking on her [ITEMS] window she can't help but be astonished again.

"What... is this?"

Displayed in front of her are dozens of lines consisting of numbers and characters, mainly named like **"?"**.

It is indeed the items she once had in Aincrad. For whatever reason, the [save data] for [Asuna] seemed to have been brought back to this new world.

Then suddenly a new possibility has hit her, very **HARD**.

"If... if these are really items from Aincrad, then... **[that]** should be here too."

She scrolls down as she mutters a silent prayer from her heart.

"Please, please, please be there."

Painstakingly, after a few seconds of fiddling enough, her fingers stopped accordingly. Across her finger was a line unlike all of the others, lit in a warm green color.

**[MHCP001]**

Forgetting to breathe for a moment, she tapped the name with trembling fingers.

The item emerged as a colorless tear-shape crystal materializes in her awaiting hands.

Her prayers never really stopped with her heart beating frantically as she gently tapped the crystal twice, and all was engulfed by a bright white light.

Erika covered her eyes as the once crystal takes and changes shape from within the light. A shadow looms over and waves of long black hair tousled together with the snow white dress that hugs a small lithe body. With eyes closed and a posture adept into praying was a young girl. She looks like a true embodiment of the light as she gracefully floats in the air.

In an alley near the starting point of the emerald faeries occured a _[miracle]_.

Erika couldn't move.

The floating girl slowly opened her eyes, eyelashes fluttering and the color of the night sky slowly fixed on Erika herself.

"It's me Yui-chan, its Mama. Do you remember?"

Erika gathered up all of the courage within her. She knew that her appearance in this world was completely different from what she used to in that other world, but she just can't help herself. Such concerns were unnecessary for the girl- Yui, her [daughter] has been revived.

"We meet again, Mama."

And with tears in her eyes, Yui stretched out her arms and flew onto Erika's awaiting ones.

"Mama... Mama!" Yui called, again and again. Both girls were filled with such content that they stayed like that for a while.

**o0o**

"What really is going on?"

Erika, having been calmed by now asked Yui, who is currently sitting on her lap.

Thankfully, it seems that no one had witnessed the scene earlier as seeing that they were in a secluded area of Swylvain. It must mean that this is the beginners' area or as such Erika had just been lucky.

Yui looked up at her with an expression of utter bliss.

Yui had said that she was to be deleted in that particular time in Aincrad but instead her main program had been compressed and was stored as part of the environmental data she was always in Kirito-kun's NerveGear. Since coming to this new world of Alfheim, Erika had discovered that the data [Asuna] once had have been transferred here including her status as [married] with [Kirito] as she can still access the latter's equipments and so on but not his exact location if he was really there. The fact that he still hadn't woken up wasn't also easy to be put onto words as she alsi explained everything to her daughter earlier.

"Please wait for a moment."

Yui then closed her eyes, as if contemplating something, and put her hands near her ears like someone straining to hear a far away whisper.

"This is-"

Yui's eyes snapped open, looking at Erika.

"It seems that this world is based on a copy of the [Sword Art Online] server."

"Copy?"

"Yes. The framework and graphic format are produced by the same [core program] group. I was able to reproduce this form, and that is enough to verify this. However, the [Cardinal] system is a bit outdated and the game components are completely different."

Erika then fell into a deep thought.

What Sugou had said to her before was that the one that was now maintaining the SAO servers was RECTO which was headed by Erika, no, Asuna's father and was entrusted to Sugou Nobuyuki as the one to do so, Argus, had gone ratted and bankrupted.

It would make sense that that wretched man, Sugou, was able to use Argus' technology to develop a new VRMMORPGame, that way the costs would be significantly reduced, and Erika wasn't that surprised learning this fact.

"But... why did my personal data appear here?"

"Mama, please let me look at your data."

Yui closed her eyes again and concentrated, this time leaning towards Erika.

"There is no doubt. This is the character data Mama used in SAO. Both games utilize an identical format not only for the save data but also for common skill proficiency, so they can be inherited. But still, many things are still different like HP and MP so they're not transferred just like the items, they're all corrupted. It's possible that tye system's error detection protocol will detect them so it would be better if you throw them all away, Mama."

"... okay."

Erika tapped the item menu and selected all of them, and then she clicked the deletion command. She can imagine a detested Kirito-kun once he learned what she just did, after all he was quite a sentimental type of person but that was only if she found him first.

That left Erika with just the initial equipment.

"Is that all Yui-chan? Wait, what about my skill level? Is it alright to just leave it like that?"

"Your skills shouldn't be a problem unless a human [game master] sees them."

"Is that so..."

Erika sighed. Relief flooding her senses as she had perfectly trusted her avatar's skill. Besides, she didn't come to this game to enjot herself. She came here to gather evudence against Sugou or perhaps even rescuing Kirito-kun at the top of Yggdrasil if he was truly there. Having those skills will make her achieve these goals quickly.

She closed her eyes window and narrowed her eyes to Yui who was still clinging on her.

"Now that left me with another question. How is the system treating you, Yui-chan?"

Yui was not a human.

She was an [Artificial Intelligence], in other words an AI, and the abnormalities in the SAO world had given birth to her existence.

Erika knew of that yet she love Yui dearly as a real mother can and Yui love her as her mother, and that is enough for them.

"Hmm, I seem to be classified by the system as a pseudo-character program for user support in Alfheim Online, a [Navigation Pixie]."

After saying that, her body suddenly lit up and seemingly disappeared into thin air.

"YUI-CHAN?!"

Erika cried out in panic, thinking that her precious daughter had been gone. However, she noticed something near her face.

It's about ten centimeter in height. Wearing a pale pink one piece mini dress in the shape of flower petals and two translucent wings stretching out from her back was a mini Yui. To be exact, a pixie Yui.

"This is my appearance as a [pixie]."

Yui stood on Erika's left shoulder and with her hands on her hips, started to flap her wings which amused Erika.

"Nee Yui-chan, do you still have the [administrator privilages] like you did before?"

"I don't... at the moment, all I can do is access reference and wide area map data. I can also confirm nearby players' statuses, but I can't access the [primary] program database." Yui said dejectedly.

"Is... that so." Erika glumly said.

"Why Mama? Are you alright?"

"Kirito-kun... it seems that your Papa is here."

"Eh... Papa?!"

Yui stared at Asuna with a hopeful expression. Perhaps, she's also hoping that they'll be a complete family again, appearance aside, but immediately deflated once she saw Erika's expression.

"... why Mama, what do you mean?"

"..."

Erika knew that Yui had been driven to the brink of collapse because of the different negative emotions of the humans in SAO once and telling her about the whole ordeal of Sugou's interference might further accessed that point and that made Erika a bit hesitant to explain everything to her daughter.

"Actually... Yui-chan, after the closing of the SAO servers, your papa didn't return to the real world. I was told that in this world, there was a person that looker like him. It might be a coincidence, but knowing of a possible [person] behind this mysterious case, I came to the conclusion to investigate here first."

"Oh... that's... I'm sorry Mama, normally I could just scan the player data, but without access to the system, I'm restricted to it."

"There's no need to blame yourself, Yui-chan. I have an idea of where he might actually be. In that huge tree, Yggdrasil… he seems to be there. Do you know something about it?"

"Un, that I know. It's generally to the northeast, but given our position as of now, it might be a little shorter than fifty kilometers away."

"A lengthy distance indeed. But as I've heard, players can fly here, right?"

Erika stood up and looked over her shoulders.

"Look, there're the wings."

From her back sprouted four long, green translucent wings.

"Shall we go practice how to fly first, Yui-chan?"

**o0o**

A huge moon hung in the cloudless sky which illuminated the forest below in a blue green color under the moonlight.

Many would think that such scenery can't be seen on the real world and only such a fantastical world doesn't exist anymore.

That may be the case.

However, this fact was not what concerned the golden haired girl in green flying in a speed no one has come across to.

"Le-Leafa-chan! Waaaaait for me!"

Weak sounds behind was what called the girl, Leafa's attention to her surroundings.

She stopped and looked behind.

A boy with bobby yellow green hair and dressed in a similarly green clothes was desperately chasing after her.

That's right, in the illusionary world of Alfheim Online, they were not humans but faeries who can [fly]. Those pointy ears and illuminated wings had given it all.

"Hurry up! You can do it!"

The girl, Leafa spread her wings and hovered for a while to wait for the boy who was clutching his flight controller.

She looks at her surroundings. In the distance, at the end of a sea of trees, was Yggdrasil, towering above the darkness.

She tried to determine the direction of their teritorry, Swylvain, the land of Sylphs but was then interrupted as the boy earlier had already reached her as she slowed down to match his speed.

They had formed a party with other sylphs earlier and earn a lot but in their return, they were ambushed by a party of enemy race, the Salamanders.

In this virtual world, it is not uncommon for a fight between different races but somehow tge ambush earlier was specifically strange, particularly not on such a large scale...

The both of them managed to avoid capture and tries to head towards Swylvain. However, because of experiencing vertigo during those consecutive battles, the boy became seriously disoriented and that made them to not been able to reach their goal. Instead, they hide in a forest to give the boy time to recover.

Just when the both of them thought they were safe-

A flash of orange streaked towards them.

"Recon, dodge!" Leafa shouted, quickly navigating herself to the left.

Again, another three streaks of fire shot forth, intending to impale them.

Thanks to their high position, the both of them, Leafa and Recon managed to dodge the [magic attacks] but it's still too early to celebrate yet.

From behind the sillouhettes of the sea of trees emerged their pursuers, rapidly approaching them.

Leafa looked towards nothwest and still had yet to catch a glimpse of the light from the [Tower of Wind] that stood in the center of tye sylph land.

"There's no way around it! Get ready to fight!" Leafa announced to Recon, pulling a curved longsword from around her waist.

"Eeh?! But!" Recon cried but he still positioned himself as he took out his daggers.

The salamanders, still in a V formation was astonished by her further actions as she suddenly shot down to them fearlessly.

"YAAAAAAA!"

She sent a straight thrust towards the enemy vanguard who was by then taken by surprise.

With a yellow-green light special effect, Leafa has managed to knock an enemy away from their formation, with the both of them plumetted down towards the ground and the enemy received some damage with his HP decreasing by about 30%. The disorientation leaving him impossible to rejoin their formation, and Leafa immediately switched targets, full of hope.

"We can do this!"

A broken formation takes time to reorganize, Leafa know that and that's her plan.

She then again shot forward. Her fast movement was unmatchable by the enemy forces and all the while trying to track her down none of them had managed to realize that Leafa had already struck another of their members, which happened to be the left flank, further disrupting their formation.

"We can definitely do this!"

Leafa told herself, determined to end the fight.

**o0o**

Leafa held her breath as she was cornered.

The salamander party she thought she was beating earlier had somehow managed to recompose themselves despite losing a few members. They also took out Recon when the both of them were engaged in their own battles and it added to the agitation Leafa was feeling as of now.

She was the only one left and even though it's hopeless, she intend to fight till the end.

She positioned her sword and gracefully got in a stance. The remaining three salamanders out of eight aimed their lances towards her.

"Let's not be unreasonable now." The man on the right said, excitement pouring over his voice.

"I'm sorry, but this is our mission. If you hand over your items and money, then we'll let you go." The man in the center, seemingly the leader, continued with a calm voice contrasting to the one before.

"Eh, but why? We should kill her! She's a girl so I'm veeeery excited!" This time, the man on the left had finally said, intoxicated by the violent atmosphere.

Leafa hated it.

"I'll definitely take at least one of you with me to the grave! If you are not afraid of the [Death Penalty], then come at me!"

Leafa said in a low voice which enraged the two nasty salamanders that had raised their lances aimed to maim her but was stopped by their leader who raised both of his hands.

"Give it up; your wings have reached the limit. Don't you see, we're still flying."

Indeed, and that was their biggest advantage against Leafa and that doesn't count that it's not just one enemy but three that she was facing.

But Leafa wouldn't give up.

"How stubborn. I guess it was inevitable."

The leader shook his head and prepared his lance, with the others following suit.

"KYAAAAAH! WATCH OUT!"

It was not Leafa that had shrieked seemingly out of nowhere but a shadow that had just jumped out and tore past the salamanders' side, like a falling star streaking in the night.

Leafa and the three salamanders froze for a moment and looked at the intruder.

"Oww, I should learn how to land right nee?"

The soft voice, belonging to the yellow-green haired female in front of then clearly shows that she doesn't understand the perilous situation they were in right now.

She stood up. Short shoulder lenght yellow-green hair fell into the sides of her heart shaped face and she was wearing a beginner's equipment. Behind her stretched were light green wings that indicated she was a member of the sylph race.

_'A beginner sylph? Why's she here in the depths of a neutral zone?'_ Leafa thought.

"What are you doing? Quick! Run away before you became their next target!" Without thinking she shouted to her.

But the girl doesn't move. Instead, she looked at Leafa then at the salamanders hovering in the air with bright green eyes. Does she not know that other races are allowed to kill each other in [Neutral Teritorries]?

"From what I was seeing, there are three soldiers attacking one girl, I can't just let this pass."

"What did you say?"

That statement had provoked the two salamanders at the back. They moved towards the girl in a pincer attack all the while in the air, and prepared to charge...

"Damn!"

Leafa cussed. She was in between the decision of helping the girl but couldn't because of the leader in her front blocking her path.

"Idiot, how dare you come out so nonchalantly? Well whatever, it should be fun hunting you too!" One of them said as the two propped their lances to charge, and the girl was just standing there, not caring to how hey were to attack her.

Leafa fought to close her eyes as she doesn't want to see her kin be piercedto death and she bit her lips. But as the imminent slaughter was about to start...

With the girl's right hand is a thin blade that has stopped the momentum of the lance that seconds ago was aiming for her life.

That was a simple skill: [Parry]. But Leafa could not still believe of what had just happened.

With that poor equipment, the girl had just stopped a heavy blow from such a huge lance, and in turn she just flicked her blade to the side, throwing the salamander to his companion that was approaching her from behind, and they collided at each other.

The girl turned towards Leafa and asked in a serious tone.

"They did violate you, were they not? If so, is it alright if I show them justice?"

"Eh? Ehhh? O-of course, you can." Leafa answered, perplexed.

"Then please excuse me."

Leafa expected her to immediately start attacking but she didn't move. Instead, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

It's so fast Leafa didn't see it.

In an instant she thought she could see a _shooting star_.

Leafa hurriedly turned her head to the right and saw the girl standing so far away from where she had started. Both her and the three salamanders where too shocked that they didn't noticed it,

Among the two salamanders, one of them was instantly wrapped in the red of the [End Flame] as he himself widens his eyes. His body desecrated into ashes and bursted in the wind, leaving only his [Remain Light].

That was way too fast!

Leafa had never seen an attack that fast before. It felt as if it was in a whole different dimension.

In a world were the brain control everything, this just proved that this is far more complex than Leafa had thought.

The girl then turned towards them again and gracefully brings herself into position.

The other nasty salamander was so shocked that he didn't understand what had just happened, still lookingbat his surroundings to find the offending sylph girl, who once again attacked without remorse.

Leafa concentrated as she followed the girl's movement with her wide eyes and even at that she still can't clearly see it.

The thin sword was only thrusted in the front, an initial movement of linear thrusting. However, this technique can be very very fatal once you applied it with a speed.

And the girl in the spectacle has some abnormally godlike speed that even the effect flash couldn't with her. The girl then stopped forward with the sword still in a linear position.

Once again a spray of fire errupted, announcing the second salamander's death, which greatly perplexed Leafa.

The girl settled into a more relaxed posture as she looked up at the leader who was still hovering in the air.

"Are you still going to fight?"

She said, with the same demeanor as earlier that made the remaining salamander to smile uneasily.

"No, I do not have a chance of winning, just forget it. Besides, my magic skill is close to maxing out and the [Death Penalty] will make all my work to waste."

"You are an honest man."

The girl disregarded him and turned to Leafa.

"How about you? If you still want to fight him, I'll respect your decision."

Leafa could only be dumbfounded.

"It's fine. Next time I will win for sure, Salamander-san."

"To be honest, fighting you one-on-one, I don't think I could win."

The salamander then spread his wings and flew away, leaving only a trail of red light.

The girl turned to Leafa and opened her mouh to speak but Leafa signalled her to stay quiet and explained that the Remain Light are actually the players' consciousness and can still hear them. A minute later and they disappeared.

"So, you're a beginner right? Why are you here of all places?" Leafa asked as she looks at the girl who was now sheating her sword.

"Uhm, how do I explain it...? I got lost while learning how to fly?" The girl tilted her head to the side, obviously embarassed seeing as pink dusted her cheeks.

"Kufu- Hahahaha! Are you an idiot?"

Leafa couldn' but laugh at the other's childishness. She was considering how to converse with her when, suddenly a voice came from nowhere.

"Mou, Mama, I told you to slow down."

It was a young girl's voice. Looking atound, Leafa didn't see anything moving in the shadows. The other girl also seemed to be flustered as she frantically looked around.

"Ah, ah! I'm sorry Yui-chan! I can't control my flight as of yet."

Leafa turned to look at the other sylph's head as something glittering fell to it. It was a small being, and as she squinted, it looked really exhausted.

"Uwu~ Mama is too fast."

"Ma, mama?!"

Leafa bewilderedly asked and on closer look, it was a palm sized fairy creature, a navigation pixie. As far as she knew, those are only won through lottery and were quite hard to acquire.

"Ah, this is..."

The other girl took notice of the pixie and brought it close to her gently, a warm smile in her face, and looking at Leafa she introduced them.

"I'm Erika, and this is Yui, my [Private Pixie]. Although [daughter] is the right word."

Leafa looked at the other sylph girl like she had grown two heads from the way she study her from top to bottom.

"Wh-what is..."

"Daughter huh? You're obviously a weirdo. You just started the game and were using initial equipment but you are undoubtedly strong."

The other girl, Erika just stayed quiet at that.

"Maa, anyway, I guess I have to thank you. Thank you for helping me. I'm Leafa."

"Nice to meet you Leafa-chan. Hora Yui-chan, greet her too."

Showing her hands, the pixie flew and bowed to Leafa then fluttered to Erika's head and sat down.

"So what do you plan on doing now?"

"Well, I'm..."

"Ah, well then, let me treat you to a drink to thank you, alright?"

Leafa didn't know but somehow, talking to this enigmatic girl made her think of someone she knew but that was maybe because of the similarities they share.

The girl looked at her with an apologetic smile, maybe to reject her but once she saw Leafa's face she smiled warmly and Leafa thought that the girl in her front was maybe, just matbe one of the very few who are able to show such emotion in the VR world.

"Okay. I was actually looking for someone who could tell me a lot of things anyway."

"A lot of things?"

"Things about this world... especially..."

Erika's bright smile receeded into a tight line as her eyes shifted to the northeast.

"That huge tree."

"The World Tree? I can help you with that. So for now, let's head back to Swylvain first okay?"

**o0o**

The two eventually arrived at their hometown after Leafa had managed to taught Erika the ropes of [Voluntary Flying]. Erika is a fast learner and the two engaged in a friendly race with Leafa winning due to experiency, but she was still shocked that Erika could almost match her speed. Apparently, they landed at the base of the Wind Tower with Erika almost colliding with. Thanks to her instincts she managed to land safely if not completely unscathed.

"Leafa-chan, you're safe!"

Turning around, they saw a yellow-green haired sylph boy waving and running towards them.

"Ah Recon, yes I survived."

Recon looked at Leafa with sparkling eyes.

"Indeed, you really are amazing! To be able to come out of so many enemies in one piece... eh?"

Recon noticed another figure standing next to Leafa and froze with his mouth hanging open. Leafa noticed the demeanor and realized who Recon was staring at.

"Oh? This is is the reason I survived."

Leafa introduced Erika and pointed at Recon.

"This is Recon, my companion but he was killed by those salamanders earlier."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Nice to meet you, I'm Erika."

"Oh... uhm... ehh... n-nice to m-meet you too." Recon stuttered as he grasped Erika's right hand and bowed, blushing. Probably because he's not used to speaking with girls other than Leafa.

"W-wait now is not the time for this!"

Recon jumped back and looked at Leafa.

"Leafa-chan, Sigurd and he others are waiting in the [Narcissus Hall] and they are ready to distribute the spoils from our hunting trip."

"Oh... I see... well... I'm not participating today.

"Eh? Leafa-chan isn't coming?"

"Ah, I promised Erika-san I would treat her to a drink in return for saving me."

Recon, understanding Leafa's cause turned to look at Erika who give him an uneasy smile.

"Then I'll give the [loot] to you to divide among our other party members." Leafa opened her item tradebwindow and transfered all of it to him.

"Email me when you are ready for the next hunt. If I can, I'll join you. Anyway, good job for today."

She clapped Recon at his back and turned away, Erika following closely behind.

"That boy just now, is that Leafa's boyfriend?"

"Or is he your lover?"

"Pffft!?"

Yui, sitting in Erika's head asked after Erika voiced her question that made Leafa almost trip in her feet.

"What made you think of that? We're just party members."

"But it looks like you both have a pretty good relationship?"

"We're classmates in real life, nothing more than that..."

"It must be nice... playing VRMMO with classmates..."

Leafa can hear the bitter tone in Erika's words and looked at her with a small frown.

"But homeworks are still evil."

"Fufu... of course."

They came to a small inn and pub called [Lily of the Valley Pavillion], one of Leafa's favorite places to eat because of their delicious desserts.

Sitting in a secluded place near the window, Leafa and Erika began to chat.

"Since I invited you, please pick anything you like."

"Don't mind if I do."

Leafa ordered a Bavarian fruit tart while Erika ordered as fruit pie and a scented tea with Yui ordering a cheese biscuit. The servings were quite fast and they indulged themselves to the treats.

"Thanks for saving me again!" Leafa said as she urged Erika to clink their tea glasses together.

"Oh, it's nothing big. By the way is that kind of PK group common?"

"Oh that, originally the relationship between the salamanders and the sylphs was bad. Our teritorries are rivals; usually competing for the resources in some places of neutral grounds. We're practically at war, and thus kind of organized PKing only proved that they are planning to attack the World Tree soon."

"Oh, the World Tree?"

"Yes, ah, you said something about that before right? Why do you want to know about it?"

"I... I want to go to the top of the World Tree."

Leafa was then perplexed at the serious expression adourning Erika's expression.

"It certainly is something all players want; at least I think so too. It is after all the main quest of the ALO game."

"Eh?"

"You know there's a limit on the amount of time you can fly right? No matter which race, the max flight is about 10 , the race that reaches the [Floating City] above the World Tree and the first to meet the Fairy King [Oberon] can be reborn as the higher species [ALF]. This particular race of faeries has no time limit on flying and will be free to fly freely through the sky forever if they want."

"... I see..."

Erika took a small bite of her fruit pie and nodded solemnly.

"Do you know of a method of getting to the top of the World Tree?"

"There is an entrance to the City inside its roots. It is a huge dome but there are an army of NPC guardians that you need to get past to. Many racial groups have attempted as of now but none had ever got pass through. They were immediately wiped out and the reason why the salamanders have been saving a lot of money and been purchasing a lot of equipment and items was they will challenge it again."

"So this [guardians] are really strong..."

"VERY hard. That quest had already been there for almost a year and none apparently had cleared it."

Erika then sunk into silence with Leafa and Yui staring at her intently.

"Is tht really impossible to climb the World Tree?" Erika muttered and Leafa might not hear it if not for the silence accompanying around them.

"I think so? Moreover, there are many other quests, like mastering skills to improve item production, and organizing parties. I won't give up, or we will never know the joy of true flight. So even if it takes many years, surely..."

"That will be too... late."

Erika muttered again, this time softer with a semblance of a somber tone. Leafa was then struck with the despair laced in her voice and looked at Erika. The girl was trembling and full of remorse that Leafa can't help but think of earlier, were she was hit by an extreme feeling of nostalgia again.

"Mama..."

Leaving her half-eaten biscuit, the little pixie, Yui flew up to sit on Erika's shoulder, caressing her cheek to comfort her. Finally, the released tension subsided and Erika calmed down.

"...I'm sorry to the both of you." Erika said in a low voice.

"But I, no, we really have to get to the top of the World Tree right away."

Viridian green eyes that held the glint of a sharpen sword shone brilliantly as Erika stared at Leafa. Leafa could feel her chest tighten and in order to calm herself took a sip from her teacup.

"Why must you go so far?"

"I'm looking for some evidence and for someone."

"What do you mean?"

Erika smiled at Leafa knowingly, eyes revealing the depth of her misery. There it goes again.

_'Where have I seen eyes like that before?'_ Leafa thought as the flipping of his insides turned wildly.

"Well now, Leafa-chan thank younfor teaching me a lot, and for the delicious meal. I'm glad you're the first person I met here."

Erika stood up, attempting to continue her journey.

"Hey, wait a minute... do you really plan on going to the World Tree? With that kind of equipments?"

"Well, I'm not gonna say I'll go alone. I'll see if I can ask some of my friends too, but sort of, this is something I have to see with my own eyes."

"That's... there're powerful monsters out there, and it was very far away. You are indeed strong, but still..."

Unconsciously, Leafa was symphatizing with this girl. She can feel it. And by the time she opened her mouth came a sentence she never really imagined saying to someone.

"Then I'll take you there."

"Eh?"

Erika's eyes opened wide.

"No, uhm, but I shouldn't impose on someone I've just met..."

"I've already decided! I'll accompany you!"

Leafa looked at her with eyes full of conviction. Even though it's a bit awkward for her to travel with a total stranger, she just... she just couldn't leave her alone.

"Will you be here tomorrow?"

"Eh... yes, yes I will."

"Then three o'clock in the afternoon okay? I have to go now. If you want to rest here, you can use a room here. So, see you tomorrow."

Finishing her explanation, Leafa opened her menu by waving her left hand, as she was about to press the log out button...

"Eh, w-wait!"

Erika caught her sleeve and faced Leafa with a smile.

"Thank you... for all."

Leafa smiled and nodded as she pressed. She gradually vanished into particles of light.

She doesn't know how many minutes have already passed since and then she slowly opened her eyes.

She stared at her ceiling which has her posterized photo posted on it. It depicts her game persona flying in the infinite sky, and surrounding her was a flock of sno-white birds.

Kirigaya Suguha sat down then proceeded to took off the AmuSphere in her head.

"Onii-chan, I think I made a new friend in _that world_."

With a smile she whispers those lines from the bottom of her heart.

And she wondered if that really is the beautiful world her brother had completely immersed himself into. And when he caomes back, she promised, she'll tell him all about ALO and similar interest. That may be impossible for now but recalling that girl's eyes, Erika, earlier filled with determination, she couldn't help but held a little glow of hope.

**o0o**

Erika stared at the spot Leafa had been standing a few minutes ago with a slightly confused expression.

"What happened to her?"

She tilted her head as she looked at her daughter as she voiced her question.

"What happened to her?"

"Sorry Mama, the me right now has no mental monitoring abilities."

"Well, it's alright."

After checking in the counter, Erika climbed the stairs to the second floor and opened the door of her rented room, which revealed a very simple room with only a bed and a table. This brought her back in soke of her memories in Aincrad.

Erika then lay in the bed and chose to log out using the [Sleef-off] method. In other words, she would jusy simply fall asleep.

Yui then returned to her original form, wearing her original snow-white one piece dress. Long ebony hair fluttering in the breeze coming from the open window in the side with the little one clasping her hands behind her back as she turned towards Erika and shyly muttered.

"... I won't see you until tomorrow right, Mama?"

"... I'm sorry... we finally managed to meet again but the circumstances wouldn't wllow us to spend more time together. Don't worry, I'll be back soon to see you, Yui-chan."

"Uhm, Mama, before you log out, can we... uhm... can we sleep together?"

Erika's face blooms into a full smile. Yui is still her daughter as she is her mother and the thought of such a flustered Yui is too adorable for her heart.

"Of course you can."

Erika moved to the side to make room to Yui for her to lie down, and the little girl eagerly jumped down to the bed, snuggling with Erika who gently stroked her hair.

"We'll find Kirito-kun quickly and then let's buy our own house in this world as well nee, Yui-chan?"

Yui turned her head to the side and nodded enthusiastically.

"Mmn! I'll help Mama and Papa find a good one. It feels like a dream, me and Papa and Mama to be living together again."

Erika recalled those days they spent together in that floating castle and her chest tightened almost too painfully.

She hugged Yui tightly as she could feel her consciousness slips away.

"It's not just a dream; we will soon make it a reality."

Exhaustion finally claimed her as her brain was dead tired for today's adventure.

"Good night, Mama."

Until she slept, she could still felt that comfortable warmth at her side, assuring her.

**o0o**

_**A/N: **__Uwaah~ my second pen has lost its HP, uwaah~_

_Anyways still no glimpse of Kii-bou for now... maa, don't worry he'll show up in the next chapter~_

_Kinda boring when I wrote this part dontcha think?_

**_to Kanrei-san,_**

_Yahhh~! Sugu is tricked that evil Sugou!1 You're welcome and I hope you've enjoyed this chapter~_

**_to Delta Marauder-san,_**

_Thanks~ and as for Asuna choosing Erika, her sylph character? I believed I already explained it in the first chapter near the end but I'll elaborate it again. Asuna was worried that Sugou might track her old account if she use her original chara name __**[Asuna]**__, to avoid that she thought that she might use another alias, something like that… Is that a well explanation? Sorry for my vagueness… -_-"_

**_to artemis lover-san,_**

_thanks~ and yes, I'll continue this, don't worry_

**_to Souma Aquifina – Yulli K. Liam-san,_**

_yes, and I've updated it now~_

_Btw, updates of this fic is parallel to my bro's xover fic __**Beyond the Horizon**__ so don't think he'll not update nee~_

_Again, thanks for faving/ following/ reviewing~ It drives inspiration to the authoress~ ^A^/_

_See you next update~_

_Lovelots~_

_**NishikaYui**_


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